


First Baby

by bookwormchocaholic



Series: First Series [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Childbirth, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-18 12:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8161910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwormchocaholic/pseuds/bookwormchocaholic
Summary: Rumford and Belle have their first child.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [onceuponanovel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceuponanovel/gifts).



> Not beta-ed, so expect mistakes.

Belle panted, her cheeks puffing in and out. She whimpered as she pushed with all of her might. 

Nine months ago, she and Rumford had been married in an impromptu wedding and were enjoying being newlyweds. Her biggest challenge was suddenly becoming a mother to Rumford’s son Bae. In the majority of books she had read, children resented their stepmothers. But not Bae. He called her “mom” from the start and seemed to hang on her every word. All was well. 

And then she was late. 

_Belle took the test and it read positive. She was pregnant._

_Belle waited until they turned in before tell her new husband. They had only been married a few weeks and now they were having a baby._

_Rumford stopped in front of her, bemused at her sitting on the edge of the bed, staring into space. “Sweetheart? Are you all right?”_

_“I’m pregnant.” Belle said without a beat. Her face crumbled and she started to cry. “I’m sorry. I know we didn’t plan this.”_

_Rumford went slack jawed. “A baby? Really?”_

_Belle nodded, sniffing. She didn’t know why she was crying. A child was a precious thing and she always wanted to be a mother. But everything was happening so fast!_

_Rumford framed the sides of her face with his hands. “Belle…” Tears soon sprouted from his own eyes. “A baby. We’re going to be parents! I love you.”_

_Belle cried harder and then she began to laugh. Hormones were funny things._

_“I love you too.” She said._

_They were going to be all right._

Belle ground her teeth as she bore down and gave another push. Her body was slick with sweat and the nightgown stuck to her in all the wrong places. 

She clung to Rumford’s hand, squeezing the life out of it, no doubt cutting off his circulation. But he didn’t utter a word of complaint. He whispered tender words of encouragement in her ear, laid a cool cloth on her forehead, and fed her ice chips when she asked for it. Her husband refused to leave her side even though they were going on her tenth hour of labor.

“One more! One more push!” Dr. Whale urged. 

Belle cried out as she pushed with what little strength she had left. She sank back on the bed and marveled at the sight of the baby wailing. 

Rumford kissed her damp brow and parted from her only to accept the newly cleaned and blanketed baby. He transferred their child to her arms. “A girl, Belle! It’s a girl!” He laughed through his tears. 

“A girl.” Belle said breathlessly. 

The child mewled, scrunching up her face. 

“Colette?” Belle suggested, thinking of her mother Colette, who could not be there today. 

“Colette Rose Gold.” Rumford agreed, stroking their daughter’s head. 

Belle smiled sleepily. She hadn’t known true happiness until this very moment. 

#

Rumford sighed. He was spent and he had not even lifted a finger. But the worry, the fear that he would lose Belle or the baby, terrorized him from the first labor pang. Only when the doctor proclaimed his wife and daughter the pictures of perfect health did his anxieties ebb out from his tense muscles. 

Belle had nursed Colette and they took turns holding her. His wife began to doze not long after the sunset. He placed his new daughter in the bassinette. 

Rather than rest, Rumford sat back and watched the women of his life sleep. Only when Bae was born had he felt this elated. 

Though a new born, Rumford could tell that Colette would be a perfect combination of him and Belle. She had Belle’s blue eyes and russet wisps fringed the crown of her head. 

However their little one had his nose and coloring. Hopefully her femininity would soften what might turn out to be a hooked nose. 

He cast a glance at Belle. She was snoring, her lips jutting apart ever so slightly. Her sweat dried locks curled around her face and the flush in her cheeks had begun to taper off. 

_“I’m disgusting.” She complained, before dozing off._

_“You’ve never looked more beautiful to me.” He countered._

Rumford knew he was right. Exhausted and weary as she was, Belle had never looked more beautiful to him, and that included their wedding day. 

He was a lucky man, for he had finally found his happy ending.

**Author's Note:**

> http://bookwormchocaholic.tumblr.com/post/151094427549/first-baby


End file.
